(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to microscopes and more particularly to an inverted-design microscope provided with a micromanipulator.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
There is already known such inverted-desitn microscope of this kind as is mentioned, for example, in Japanese patent publication No. 53925/1982. Therein, as shown in FIG. 1, a micromanipulator 2 is integrally incorporated in the condenser lens 1 of a microscope so that, when the micromanipulator 2 is vertically moved along the optical axis of the objective lens 3, its tip part will be thrust into a cell within a cultivating vessel 5 mounted on a stage 4. Recently, the object of such cell manipulation has come to be minute. Such manipulation as, for example, of discriminating the colors of a nucleus derived from an ovum wihtin a fertilized cell of a mouse and a nucleus derived from a spermatozoon and sucking only the nucleus derived from the ovum is carried out under the differential interference observation from the viewpoint of the resolving performance. In the case of setting the above mentioned micromanipulator 2 or manipulating egg cells of a cow, a comparatively low magnification is often used. Therefore, in the case of switching the magnification or switching to the differential interference observation system, it is necessary to attack, detach, replace or switch the illuminating system, that is, the condenser lens. However, in the above mentioned conventional structure, as the micromanipulator 2 is integrally attached to the condenser lens 1, the illuminating system, that is, the concenser lens 1 has not been able to be easily attached, detached, replaced or switched.
Also, there is known an inverted-design microscope provided with a micromanupulator of the formation shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the reference numeral 10 represents a stage of the microscope, 11 represents a cultivating vessel mounted on the stage 10 and containing cells 11a, 12 represents a condenser lens including a ring slit 12a wihtin, 13 represents an objective lens attached to a revolver 14 and having a phase plate 15 within and 16 represents a micromanipulator fixed to the stage 10 (or to a part of the microscope body near the stage 10) through a attaching tool 17 and having its glass stylus 16a extended to the cell 11a within the caltivating vessel 11, that is, to the vicinity of the focus position of the microscope. In the thus formed inverted-design microscope, in the case of carrying out a so-called pricking technique, for example, of thrusting the glass stylus 16a of the micromanipulator 16, by an operating handle 16c, into the cell 11a within the caltivating vessel 11 to impregnate the cell with enzyme in the caltivating liquid, firstly, the glass stylus 16a is positioned near the upper surface of the cell by using manipulation handles 16c, 16d, 16e under the close observation by the eye and/or the objective lens and is thrust into cell 11a by the manipulation handle 16e. Next, the glass stylus is carefully raised far enough not to break it by the manipulation handle 16c, and the caltivating vessel 11 is moved to enable to thrust the glass stylus 16a into the next cell in the caltivating vessel 11. This is usually done by operator's fingers. If, however, this is done by a sample stage handle of the microscope, the operation is much complicated because the above mentioned first step must be repeated. Therefore, in the prior art even a skilled person will be limited to treat, for example, about 500 cells per hour and, as the bottom surface of the caltivating vessel or particularly of a plastic vessel is not flat and the growth of the cells does not expand uniformly along the bottom surface of the caltivating vessel, the positions in the optical axis direction of the respective cells will be different, thus the focus will deviate in moving the stage 10 in the horizontal direction, therefore it will be necessary to make a two-step operaion, that is, to make focusing with a focusing handle and then to operate the respective operating parts of the micromanipulator 16 so as to bring its glass stylus 16a to the vicinity of the focus position and therefore the manipulation will be very complicated.